


Year Gone, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-03-10
Updated: 2001-03-10
Packaged: 2019-05-15 11:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Exactly a year after the shooting, th staff tries to deal with their day.





	Year Gone, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

A Year Gone by Cat

Disclaimers: All characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John  
Wells, NBC, yadda yadda.....  
no profit being made.  
Rating: PG- cause of one little bad word.  
Summary: exactly one year after the shooting, the staff tries to deal with their day.  
Any thing else: PLEASE, PLEASE, FEEDBACK IS AS GOOD AS A NEW EPISODE! ;)   
EVEN BETTER,  IT'S AS GOOD AS DANNY! (OR NOT, FOR YOU FEW PEOPLE....)

*************************************************************************************** 

The sun set on CJ Cregg's office, as she reached over the pack of papers  
to turn on her lamp. It was a calm, May day, as the senior staff tried to forget what had happened exactly one year ago.  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
"GUN!"

Agent Gina Toscano screamed as she quickly pulled down Zoey and Charlie,  
covering them with her own body. Sam Seaborne and CJ Cregg were trapped in the line of fire between two  
limos, an agent came rushing over and tackled CJ down, and then Sam pushed him out as he himself  
pulled her down also. CJ was remembering reading over the Reagan shooting, and how the  
press secretary then was left brain dead. Sam held on to CJ's necklace momentarily, as it  
snapped and he held it in his palm. Toby Ziegler held his face as the barricades behind him were pushed on by  
the mass of the petrified people who ran for cover from the flying lead. His mouth tasted  
blood, and dear God, he prayed it wasn't a bullet wound. Joshua Lyman held on to the railing as he saw his best friends fall, and he clung onto the fence for dear life as he was pushed away, and he fell to the ground.  
Feeling a punch to his chest, he struggled to breathe and coughed before sitting against the  
wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Samuel Norman Seaborne sat tapping his pencil against his desk, annoying  
the visitor he had.

"Sam, could you please stop?" Sam stopped staring out into space and focused on Ainsley.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," he said, trying to concentrate on the file in front of  
him.

"I know what's on your mind," she said playing with her hair.

"I've been dying to tell someone, it's just I can't get it out of-"

"Silverman's resolution. Don't worry about it. It's a no man vote, The  
House would never pass it."

"Yeah, thanks," he said lying.

~~~~~~~~~~

Josh Lyman sat with his back towards the wall, and had since then made  
Donna knock when she opened the door, due to other painful incidents.

"Josh-" Donna rushed in and opened the door right in his face once again.

"Donnatella Moss!"

"Ooops. Let me try again," she said, leaving once more.

*Knock

"Come in!" Josh rubbed his forehead as he felt it throb with pain.

"I just wanted you to know that you have staff in 10."

"Thank you," he said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," she said smiling and leaving.

"This damn day," he said shoving his face in his hands.

~~~~~~~~~

Toby, meanwhile, threw his rubber ball against the wall, summoning his  
deputy.

"Come on, dimwit." He threw it hard enough that he could feel the frames vibrate with the  
force.

"Come on!"

He threw it once more, and then decided on taking a walk.

"Sam!" Toby opened his deputy's door to find him staring at Ainsley, who was  
deeply engrossed in a debate.

"Do you understand this?" Toby showed Sam the rubber ball, and proceeded to throw it to him.

"Yeah, it's made of rubber of some sort."

"You know what it means?"

"To dogs, fetch."

"And to you?"

"Come on over," he said slumping his shoulders and excusing himself.

"What do you need," he said a bit annoyed in the hallway.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything today," Toby said fiddling.

"Yes, yes, I do. I have a date," he said proudly.

"Well, dump it."

"Why," Sam said confused at the command.

"Because Josh and I are going to go to a small bar."

"Does CJ know?"

"Why would she need to know," he said snickering. Sam nodded and thought about CJ not knowing and what kind of yelling it would involve later.

"I think I have to bow out on you guys," he said.

"Why," Toby said looking downward.

"Because I don't enjoy CJ in a bad mood, and she's in one, and after  
tonight, tomorrow will be a sequel to today," he retorted.

"Fine, sissy,"he said under his breath.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," he  
chimed back.

"That's good you should use it in a speech someday."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey gorgeous," he said, entering her office. CJ was obviously startled after reading a report on nuclear heads.

"Hey Danny," she said smiling and giving him a small kiss.

"I'm here, you know." Danny sat down as he held her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Today's been hellish,"she admitted, looking at her feet.

"I know."

"I mean, everyone's acting like nothing's happened, and I just want to  
scream to them, and tell them that everything's happened, I'm just...ready to explode."

"I could help," he said, smiling at her.

"Yeah, I wanna go out, I need to let loose tonight," she said exhaling  
slowly.

"You should. I'll come with," he said, grinning.

"Yeah, you will," she said, stealing one more kiss away.

"Ummmhmm," he said returning the kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

~~~~~~~~~~~

12 A.M. SMALL BAR IN D.C.

".....where's Sam," Josh slurred, alongside Toby and Donna.

"I'm not quite sure, but I think he had a date, I really can't remember  
much at all of today." Donna nodded as Toby squinted to see two familiar faces enter the bar.

"Hey CJ!" Toby jumped as he saw CJ and a somewhat Danny, enter.

"Hey," she said, holding her head.

"What's the matter," a somber Donna asked.

"She has a headache," Danny explained, while helping her sit down.

"It's you, Danny," Josh slurred, "reporters always give her headaches."

"No, it's not him." Josh and Toby straightened up, as they both had a feeling CJ was about to  
go in-depth.

"It's how you guys can play this big charade, and pretend nothing's  
happened," she blurted out.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean how exactly one year I was afraid of losing my best friend, and  
barely grasping on myself. I don't know how you guys can just pretend that if you get  
drunk together, everything will be ok," CJ paused, and found a waiter, "Grasshopper,  
please."

"That's what you're doing too, CJ."

"No, Tobias, I am not. What I am doing is helping out to adults who just  
look ridiculous sitting next to two sober women, so I thought I might help you 2 look  
better."

"Thanks, CJ," Josh said.

CJ swallowed her liquor as the men stuck to their beers, while a wide-eyed  
Donna looked on.

"That's it!" CJ dropped her glass on the table rather quickly, startled by the scream.

"Donna-" Josh began.

"No, no, no. You guys have both acted like real, excuse me, jack asses, and  
we are not going to take it. You are going to my place right now and we are going to sit down  
and have a nice long talk with CJ and Danny."

"I like to buy girls dinner first," Josh said.

"Shut up, and get up," she said grabbing her keys. CJ looked at her with admiration as she had just done something that she was unable to do.

"Yeah, Danny, let's roll,"she said picking up the tab.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CJ and Danny both sat on the love seat while Josh explained exactly what he  
had gone through, with Donna and Toby looking on.

"...I had just felt, that, that you guys forgot about me. I mean, I sat  
there, for minutes, just staring ahead, waiting for someone to come and help me. I had  
pictures of Sam, TOby and CJ, floating in my head, like they were trying to save me. I was just  
scared," he finished, taking a sip of his beer.

"You're right, I left you. We left you. I stood, and just found my head  
pounding and this guy above me, and Sam was gone. All my head was processing was if the president  
was dead. I shouldn't have, my friends are much more important to me than some job.  
I'm really, really, sorry, Josh,"CJ said, while wiping tears from her eyes. Josh sniffed a bit, just as his cell-phone rang.

"Not an emergency, not an emergency, please not an emergency. Hello?"

(phone over)

"Josh, it's Sam. What are you doing?"

"Well, Donna pulled Toby, CJ, Danny, and myself out of the bar to her place  
to "talk". How'd whatever it is go?"

"Pretty good. Anyway, I was wondering if I could stop by. I'm kind of-  
well, can I just come over?"

"Sure. Bring your friend over," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye."

"Bye," and with that, Josh hung up, and walked back to his seat.

"Who was that?"

"Sam, he's coming over with his 'lady friend.'"

~~~~~~~~

20 MINUTES LATER  
"Hey," Josh said, peering over Sam's shoulder to catch a glimpse of his  
friend.

"Hey Mallory, where's your friend-"

Josh's head finally clicked as he put one and one together.

"You are- are- I mean-"

"Nice to see you too, Josh." Mallory walked in, and sat on the floor with Sam.

"Leo's going to kill you," Josh said playfully.

"Yeah, yeah. So what's up?"

"We were just talking about uh, a year ago."

"Oh," Sam said, reveling his uneasiness on the subject. Danny sat on the couch, while his fingers were twined with CJ's. Donna sat on the wooden floor, as she rubbed Josh's shin. Toby knocked his deputy jokingly and  
scooted over to make a spot for Sam and Mallory.  


"Everything's going to be okay," CJ said.

"You're right, it will," Josh replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIN~


End file.
